Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Grace and Dominion
Over at Miscellanies on the Gospel, Rob writes of God grabbing glory through man's, even pagan man's, dominion over the earth. Boy, I like this post!
I did comment in that earlier work that our technological creativity was a reflection of our "imagness" of God, but as Rob here points out, that reflection brings glory to God, regardless of whether we are calling upon God or not.
The call for "Christian environmentalism" does two things very wrong. First, its denies God's ultimate sovereignty. Secondly, it relies on us, not on God.
As I have said many times, the church is not ultimately a political organ, it is a spirutal one. Increasingly, as I reflect, "Christian environmentalism" looks like just another effort to build political power instead of rely on the power of the Almighty. Not our power - but His power.
God, grant me reliance on you!
Related Tags: Christian, environment, Christian environmentalism, glory, dominion, sovereignty
The point is clear: most of society's advancements have come through pagan men and women.Ths resonates well with some stuff I wrote a while back about how we are to view creation - starting here and then a later series here. Rob puts a much finer point on this than perhaps I did. The current cry about the need for "Christian environmentalism" actually lessens God. It is common of the very human focus of so much that is evangelicalism today. It presumes for us more power than God has granted us. It makes it appear that we can destroy that which God has made.
Yet oddly enough these advancements have furthered the dominion of God's earth, thus fulfilling His direct command. Isn't this just like God? Isn't it just like our God to give so graciously and abundantly to men the minds they have used to advance His dominion of His earth. He gives them food to eat, clothes to wear, houses to live in, and salaries to live upon. And look at how our world is blessed to have their inventions and discoveries! His common grace to them has afforded us the fruits of their labors. How gracious of God to keep on giving to men who never praise His name or acknowledge Him as the source of every detail of their labors.
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He has used and continues to use pagan men to accomplish His command to subdue the earth and have dominion over it. God means to get glory for Himself through obedience to His central command for mankind...even if it means mankind doing it through their own self-righteousness.
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He will glorify His justice and holiness on that day when He shows them His sovereignty over their stubborn refusal and how He used their minds despite the sin that raged within it...all in order to achieve His primary purpose for them on earth.
I did comment in that earlier work that our technological creativity was a reflection of our "imagness" of God, but as Rob here points out, that reflection brings glory to God, regardless of whether we are calling upon God or not.
The call for "Christian environmentalism" does two things very wrong. First, its denies God's ultimate sovereignty. Secondly, it relies on us, not on God.
As I have said many times, the church is not ultimately a political organ, it is a spirutal one. Increasingly, as I reflect, "Christian environmentalism" looks like just another effort to build political power instead of rely on the power of the Almighty. Not our power - but His power.
God, grant me reliance on you!
Related Tags: Christian, environment, Christian environmentalism, glory, dominion, sovereignty
